The Rose Thief
by Navyrants
Summary: Weiss Schnee is the best police officer Vale has ever seen. She's got a perfect record and closes every case she's assigned to within a week. But she'll find her job much more difficult when she's assigned to capture the county's most notorious criminal-The Rose Thief. Can she do it, or will something stop her?
1. To Be the Best

In the Vale County Police Department, Weiss was well-known. Not only as the daughter of the police chief, but also as one of the most talented and successful officers employed there. If there was a thief, she'd catch them. If there was a murderer, she'd have them in cuffs by the end of the week, usually sooner. She was everything a police officer should be-intelligent, fit, capable, and fast.

Some other officers resented her for it. Though, this made no difference to her, of course, since she regarded socialization amongst co-workers to be unprofessional. She spoke to her partner, her boss, anyone with vital information, and no one else. This alone had earned her the title "Ice Queen" from the force. But the fact stood that she was undeniably the best at what she did.

So when the white-haired girl was assigned to the case of The Rose Thief, she felt fairly confident. They may have been the best thief the city had ever known, but Weiss was confident that good would prevail. She believed in assisted karma-this degenerate would get what was coming to them and she would make sure of that. However, she also wasn't prepared to deal with the consequences of underestimating her opponent. She pulled late nights studying the case documents, scouring the files for any vital details. It might have even been a little unhealthy, but soon she felt she could begin her search for the criminal.

The thief had a calling card, so to speak. They left roses all over the crime scene, though their motive for this was highly unclear to the detectives who had previously worked the case. The white-haired girl was fairly sure it was a taunt. The forensics department had to figure out where the roses came from, in the hopes that it would provide a clue, but the petals from each heist were from a different place entirely. Sometimes, the best they could come up with for location was "personal garden." They didn't know whose personal garden, only that it wasn't from a florist's or a public garden.

The lack of information regarding this frustrated Weiss, to be sure, but she wouldn't let it daunt her. She was confident in her abilities and she would take this delinquent down no matter what.

She didn't have to wait long to match wits with this new opponent. Less than a week, in fact. The young officer was called from her home (the price of working an important case) to a wealthy estate. At first glance it would appear to be a standard robbery, but then there were the petals. The Rose Thief had left their card.

Weiss surveyed the scene carefully. Two officers were working with the owner of the house to determine exactly what had been stolen. Just from what she heard of their conversation, it was quite a lot.

Besides the stolen items, though, nothing seemed to be displaced. The only strange thing about the room was the scattering of rose petals. This was another attribute of The Rose Thief-they never left a mess. They never broke anything. They simply took and bolted. There was rarely even any sign of a break-in on the house. There was only missing objects and rose petals.

Those damned rose petals.

Although she scoured the room that night, Weiss found no new evidence. There were no fingerprints, no hairs, nothing that could be traced to a culprit. All she found that night was a brand new obsession with rose petals.

* * *

><p>Ruby Rose was known for her speed. She was the fastest of them all, a trait which was particularly useful in her line of work. It was be fast or be caught and if she were caught she'd lose it all. So she was fast. Even faster than her older sister, but Yang had her own thing to keep her out of trouble.<p>

The two trained together in their free time, which is to say, whenever neither was on a spree. They ran together, tested each other. They sparred too, but mostly they would run. They didn't run on a flat track, since that wasn't particularly useful to either of them. Instead, they raced through the streets, practicing evasive maneuvers. Ruby had sheer speed on her side, but somehow Yang still always managed to come out ahead. It was something which the younger of the two attributed to the wisdom of age, so she assumed she could catch up if she worked hard enough. Each defeat spurred her on more.

The sisters also had a tendency to try to one-up each other with their accomplishments. Yang currently had the trump card of having put together the underground network they and many others lived in, but Ruby was building up quite a resume.

Ruby and Yang had dedicated their lives to this makeshift city. It was originally meant to house refugees from the law such as the sisters themselves, but had since grown to be a place where the impoverished and homeless could find, at the very least, a hot meal. The blonde ran things from the top, making sure everything was hidden and running smoothly, while little Red worked on the streets, making sure everyone had the necessities. She knew everyone in town and made rounds every morning and evening to check on them.

It was why she became The Rose Thief, in fact. She saw first hand every day how much these people suffered, and how little the upper classes cared about them. Eventually she decided she was going to start evening the score.

That was years ago and she had only gotten better at her craft. Every detective that had pursued her had been broken, literally or figuratively. Generally, the hospital trips were courtesy of Yang-she wasn't fond of people messing with her baby sister. But it worked, and why fix it when it works just fine?

So when Ruby heard there was a new detective assigned to her case, she was mildly worried that they would be one of those who would chase too hard and get hurt. She wasn't concerned with actually getting caught, even if this Schnee girl was supposed to be the best they had.

Whatever happened, she had a bad feeling that someone was going to get hurt.

Another heist passed flawlessly. Nothing broken, nothing changed. Everything stayed just in place.

Except, of course, the stolen wealth.

But in Ruby's opinion, it hadn't belonged to the man in the first place. He was a crook and a sham, lying to people to get their money so that he could live the high life. It was infuriating. It was why she started doing this in the first place.

Her sister greeted her proudly upon her return. Of course she did-Ruby was fantastic at what she did, and where had she learned it?

"Great job, sis! Though I heard they called the cops pretty quickly…" She was only teasing, of course. They both knew Ruby was too good to get caught. The younger of the two let out a dramatic sigh.

"I guess he couldn't just stop and smell the roses, huh?" The pair snickered and bumped fists, enjoying the high of a job well done. They walked together, making their way to a hidden place where they stashed their goods. Someone would pick them up in the morning and make sure they were sold. Then they'd settle into their own hideaway, where they would bundle up under half a dozen blankets to keep the cold away.

It wasn't so hard being a thief.


	2. Be Careful

_Weeks._ Weeks had gone by with not a single clue. There were whispers around the department, and it bothered her more than she would care to admit. Her reputation had been ruined.

_No_, she thought and took a deep breath. _I can handle this._ It wasn't her fault, really. She got called to the scene too late, and the thief had done this so long that they knew exactly how to leave only what they wanted to. But they'd slip up eventually. Weiss had to believe that.

She'd taken to patrolling the richer neighborhoods at night. Because she was on a high-priority case, she was relieved of most other duties and was free to sleep late in the morning. Staying up wasn't a problem, but she knew she'd do it even if she did have to get up early. Her obsession with the case was slowly inching towards unhealthy.

And it wasn't even paying off.

No clues. Not even a glimpse of a shadow disappearing into an alley. It made her want to punch a wall. Or better yet, that god damned thief. When she caught that stupid criminal, she was going to make sure she was locked away for life.

Her frustration showed outwardly, and it had gotten to the point where not even the friendliest officer would wave to her anymore. In fact, the only person who would talk to her at all was her irritating (though admittedly attractive) partner, Neptune. She was sure he only talked to her because he had some sort of weird crush on her.

Needless to say, she didn't return the sentiment.

At first, she had demanded he come with her to patrol the neighborhoods, but when he spent the entire night hitting on her, she'd changed her mind. It wasn't that she disliked him, really, it was just that she really, really disliked him. But she was stuck with him.

Sometimes she missed Pyrrha.

Though she had been a little strange, the redheaded girl had made a much better partner than the blue-haired moron she currently had to deal with. For one thing, she'd actually taken her job seriously. Neptune saw it as an opportunity to get girls.

But Pyrrha wasn't her partner and Neptune would rather goof off, so Weiss was left to patrol alone. She drove her car slowly down the street, eyes keen. The white-haired girl fully expected this to be yet another uneventful night. There might be a robbery or there might not, but either way she wouldn't get any leads.

Then an alarm went off, just down the street. She sped up and parked in front of the wailing house, not even bothering to close the door when she got out. Not bothering with the front door, she bolted around to the back where the thief would most likely exit.

Sure enough, she spotted a shadow disappearing behind the next house. Weiss gave chase, almost catching up with the hoodlum before they seemed to realize they were being followed. They put on a surprising burst of speed and soon the cop was following the robber into the main city, twisting through dark alleyways. A couple of jumps later and she was sprinting across rooftops.

They were unbelievably fast. How could someone run like that without training for their entire life? Had this person been a thief since childhood? And what kind of thief wore a hoodie with bright red sleeves?

Everything about the criminal was surreal to Weiss. Although she had dealt with this type of scum since she was 19 years old, she still couldn't understand the motives here.

Up ahead, the outlaw jumped, flipped, and turned, allowing the officer a brief glimpse of their covered face before falling twenty feet to the ground. She rushed forward, peering over the edge for any sign of a body, and cursing herself when there was none. Her first shot at catching The Rose Thief and she'd lost them.

* * *

><p><em>Shit.<em> That was all that passed through Ruby's mind when she realized what she had done. _Shit shit shitshitshit._ An alarm blared through the house as she scrambled to disappear. She was getting sloppy. Yang would be mad. Yang would be _furious_.

And of course, it was just her luck that there was a cop in the area. A cop who was immediately in pursuit.

The short-haired girl had lead her into the city, hoping to lose her in the streets, but she was much faster than expected. She was actually able to keep up with Ruby, something she found both terrifying and impressive.

And exhilarating.

She'd never really faced a challenge with the police before. But here was this young, beautiful, talented cop chasing her through the streets and actually doing a decent job of keeping pace. It was amazing. She let it go on a little longer than she should have, just to get a little extra taste of the thrill.

But then she began to get tired, so she decided to pull a trick. After making sure she was on the correct roof, she took a big leap (throwing in some impressive acrobatics just to show off), and dropped over the edge. To the detective, it would appear as though the thief had disappeared out of thin air, when in reality, she had swung into a window on the third floor.

She bent over to catch her breath, wheezing as she chuckled. The race had left her feeling so good. It was like running with Yang, only better. So much better.

Someone cleared their throat.

Ruby straightened up and desperately tried to control her breathing. Yang stood before her, arms crossed and looking stern.

"Ruby, what happened? You're never out of breath after a job!" The younger sibling smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

"I got lost while running?" Yang's only response was a completely unimpressed glare. Ruby sighed. "There was a police officer in the area and I kind of...maybe...accidentallytrippedawire." Just as she'd expected, her sister exploded.

"You _what?!_ Ruby do you have any idea how bad it would be if you got caught? Do you have any idea what would happen to you? Do you have _any fucking idea_ how long they'd put you away?" She felt like a child being scolded for breaking a vase. She hunched her shoulders and scuffed her foot on the floor, refusing to look at the blonde.

"I'm sorry..." Yang sighed and Ruby could see the anger bleeding away. The taller girl opened her arms and let her sister lean into her, hugging her tightly.

"Just...be more careful, okay? I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." A nod against her shoulder was enough of an agreement, and Yang let go. "We're going to talk about your crush on that cop later, though."

Ruby squawked.


	3. Red Like Roses?

Blake Belladonna. It was one of the most known and feared names in the criminal underground. She ran an organization to help thieves sell their loot without being traced. If you got on her bad side, you were essentially fucked.

She wasn't one to speak much, which was known to put people off sometimes. Not that she cared. She was closely associated with the Rose sisters, and if one looked closely they might even briefly notice that she was perhaps slightly fond of them. Her biting remarks were more playful, and the corners of her mouth would almost turn upwards when one said something goofy. The thing was, no one looked closely.

Which was just fine with Blake. She preferred having her weaknesses hidden. If they couldn't be found, they couldn't be exploited. With the position she held, she was certain there were plenty of people who wanted her dead.

She stepped silently through convoluted backroads, making her way to the dropoff. For anyone else, she would send a goon to collect the stuff, but she never took risks for Ruby and Yang. Everything was done personally for them.

When she arrived at the predetermined location, she glanced around, then yanked out a section of false brick that hid the stash. A quick peek into the bag gave her a general idea of how she would handle the goods. She replaced the fake wall carefully before turning to make her way back to her place of business.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the two sisters had changed their clothes and were now sitting in a McDonald's in downtown Vale. Ruby was wolfing down a 10-piece chicken mcnugget combo, while Yang was eating a double quarter pouder at a much slower pace. She watched her younger sibling as she ate, studying her dark hair and dyed-red tips, the simple black and red dress that was so different from the hoodie and sweat pants she wore on "jobs."<p>

"So..." The blonde drawled, letting the word hang in the air. Ruby glanced up at her and swallowed her mouthful.

"So?" The younger thief prompted, not entirely sure she wanted to start this conversation. She had a terrible feeling she knew what Yang was going to ask.

"Are you going to tell me about this cop?" _And there it is._ Ruby groaned and swatted at her sister's arm, blushing.

"No, I most certainly am not! There's nothing to tell!" She crossed her arms indignantly, looking off to the side and huffing. "I _don't_ have a crush on her."

"Oooh, her? How old is she? What does she look like?" The older sister leaned forward in anticipation, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Yang, it was dark! I don't know." Ruby was pouting now. The last thing she would ever admit to her sister was that she had a crush on a cop.

"Well, if we need to avoid her, we have to know what she looks like. Come on, think hard, Rubes!" She was still teasing, but the logic was reasonable. Which was strange for Yang. It didn't help that she was a total sucker for that nickname and the blonde knew it perfectly well.

"She was...young. I think. Her hair was white or silver or something. And her eyes were blue. Like, ice blue. They were pretty. Pale skin, kinda thin..." She shrugged. "She wore a uniform, obviously. What else do you want?"

Yang was smirking.

_Why is she smirking?_

"You sure seem to have spent a lot of time staring into the eyes of someone you were _running from._" _Shit._ Time for her last resort.

"Yaaaaaaaang!" The shrillest whine she could muster. Her sister flinched and she knew she'd won, for now at least.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave you alone. Just stop doing that in public, jeez."

Ruby grinned triumphantly.

* * *

><p>Weiss was going crazy.<p>

She paced back and forth in her bedroom, hands clasped behind her back, head bowed in thought. A large corkboard hung from the wall, covered with notes. She stopped in front of it, scanning the documents for anything she had missed. Of course, there was nothing.

_The rose petals._ They had to be significant. The officer was certain they were a taunt, but what was the thief taunting them about? That they were able to get in and out without a trace? That they could leave such a calling card and never be caught? Did they have some deeper meaning that no one had thought of?

No, they didn't. Weiss had done extensive research into rose petal symbolism. The petals were always red. Bright, brilliant red. _Like their hoodie._ Those were meant to symbolize love, passion, and respect. It was highly unlikely that the thief had intended this message.

So what _was_ their message?

She remembered as she was chasing the crook, they had jumped up and performed some (rather unnecessary) acrobatics in the air before disappearing below. That had been a taunt too, that much was obvious. She turned to stare at the sketch she'd done of their outfit. A black hoodie with bright red sleeves and hood, grey sweat pants, and some cheap running shoes. They'd had their hood up, so all she had been able to tell about their hair was that it was dark colored. Their face had been covered by a set of mirrored goggles and a black medical-type mask.

What kind of robber outfit was that?

Who in their right mind would wear _bright fucking red_ to rob a house? It was easily visible even in the low light of the moon. That's part of the reason why it was used as a warning color. But maybe that was the point. Another taunt? But why bother if no one had seen them prior to this? Why bother at all?

The whole thing was just so fucking _frustrating_. Weiss didn't know what to do and she hated that feeling. Pacing once again, she ran her hand through her hair. Her teeth ground against each other as she thought about her situation. She had no idea where else to take the investigation. Sure, she'd done something no one else had ever done-gotten a glimpse of the perpetrator-but it wasn't enough.

She couldn't let her father down.

He had made it very clear that he expected her to overcome this case. The other detectives, he'd said, has all been disappointments with their inability to make any progress.

"But you are different, Weiss. Make sure your work shows that."

If she failed at this, she would never be able to look her father in the eyes again. This case was her life from now until it was solved and she would not failt.

If only she could figure out the thief's _fucking motive._ They liked to taunt the police. They only stole from wealthy households. They obviously had extensive parkour training, possibly gymnastics as well. They were faster than anyone Weiss had ever known. And they wore a warning color when they robbed people.

And, of course, the rose petals. Red rose petals. Referring to their hoodie, perhaps? Maybe it was nothing more than their signature color. But why risk getting caught to spread your name around? Why make yourself more obvious instead of less?

Weiss wanted to punch them so badly.

* * *

><p>Officer Schnee and Officer Vasilias stepped out of their car and many of the police at the scene immediately left. Ice Queen looked pissed and no one wanted to get in her way. One of the officers stepped up to them to give them a brief of the situation.<p>

"...It seems to be a typical Rose Thief job, except..." He explained as they neared the house.

"Except what?" At this moment, they stepped inside and her question answered itself.

The living room was scattered with rose petals, which was of course the norm. Except...

They were purple.


	4. Purple Paints Red

_Purple petals._ Weiss remembered coming across their meaning during her research but she couldn't quite recall it just then. Whatever it was, she knew it made her angry. The thief had been toying with her before, now they were mocking her. She nearly crushed her cup of tea, strangely held in her right hand rather than her left.

"-Snow Angel!" She whipped her head around and directed a sharp glare at her partner, who threw his hands up in surrender.

"I told you not to call me that, Vasilias." Her teeth ground together in irritation.

"You know you love it. Anyway, I was asking what happened to your hand." He gestured at the tape wrapped carefully around her left middle and ring fingers, indicating an injury. "I asked in the car but you ignored me then, too."

"I punched a wall." Her voice was flat and the statement was accompanied by a sneer. "Now can we please do our jobs?"

He shrugged. She turned back to the scene before them.

_Purple petals_. This was obviously something significant. The Rose Thief wouldn't just change her signature for no reason. It's always been red. Why purple?

A scan of the room convinced her it would be the only clue they'd find, and being impatient, she took out her phone to google it. The officer tapped her foot as the page took forever to load, then stared in shock at the results, a faint blush coating her face.

_'Purple or lilac rose petals mean love at first sight and enchantment.'_

She ground her teeth, looking around for anything she could take her anger out on. Finding none she decided to lay down until she could function again.

On the rose petals.

* * *

><p>"Ohhhhhh Ruuuubyyyyyy~" Well, that wasn't good. The Rose Thief briefly wondered what new material her sister had found to tease her with, though of course she already knew. That was why she was hiding in the supply closet. In all honesty, she hadn't thought the news would have gotten out so quickly...<p>

The door was thrown open violently, revealing a grinning blonde. Ruby tried to bolt past her, but Yang wrapped her arms around her with an inescapable grip.

"Purple petals? Someone sure is smitten." Ruby whined loudly, her face colored with a heavy blush.

"Yang!" Her sister laughed and picked her up, dropping her onto a pile of pillows in the corner and flopping down beside her.

"I think it's about time you were honest, sis. Just say it out loud. Come on." The younger sibling groaned and buried her face in her hands. She knew Yang was joking and teasing her about it now, but she also knew admitting it out loud would make it _real._ She was enchanted by this new cop. Infatuated. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

"I...have a crush...on Officer Weiss Schnee." And then the blonde turned serious. That was never a good thing.

"Ruby. You know, right?" She nodded, still hiding her face. "You can't be with her, you can't trust her. You absolutely can't."

"You're the one making goo-goo eyes at the most dangerous person we've ever met." She tried to deflect, changing the subject to Yang's own silly romance.

"Wh-hey! That's different and you know it! Blake is still a criminal, even if she is the most dangerous, badass, strong, amazing, gorgeous..." Ruby lifted her head from her hands to shoot her sister a look. The blonde blushed and cleared her throat. "What I mean is...Blake is still like us. She's not gonna sell us out. This Schnee girl...we can never be sure. Don't let this crush control you, okay?" Ruby shifted uncomfortable, hunching her shoulders.

"I know that, Yang. I just...I mean...She could actually keep up with me. How amazing is that?" The older sister frowned at the starstruck look on thief's face. Still, she decided to let it go for now.

"Well anyway, you up for a race? If this new po-po's so good, you should be getting better."

Ruby grinned.

* * *

><p>It was another chase. The third one they'd had, in fact. Ruby had been extra careful on jobs, but Weiss just seemed to be there. She wasn't sure why or how, but she figured after this run she should probably lay low for a little bit. She glanced behind her, and of course the officer was still trailing her. The other girl had the most intense look of concentration the thief had ever seen, and she found it adorable.<p>

That was her downfall.

Literally, it was her downfall. While she was looking at the cop, she tripped and faceplanted, cracking her goggles. Cursing, she stumbled to her feet, ready to take off again, but then Schnee was there and Ruby felt a surging pain in her skull from being slammed against the wall.

"Alright, you scum," the white-haired beauty spat in her face. "You're going to answer some questions, and then I'm going to drag you downtown."

The scum in question smirked, though she knew it wasn't visible behind her mask.

"Isn't that usually the other way around?" Her smartass remark earned her a low growl and she bit her lip. The officer was incredibly pissed and if she were totally honest, Ruby thought that was kinda hot. Schnee yanked the mask down and shoved her goggles up, revealing the thief's face in its entirety. Her smirk dropped and she felt uncomfortable, knowing she shouldn't be allowing a cop to see her face. But, pinned to the wall like she was, she didn't have much of a choice.

"I will ask the questions. You will answer them. And to make sure you don't go anywhere..." Weiss flipped the smaller girl around and yanked her wrists together, quickly encasing them in metal cuffs. At this point The Rose Thief was fighting to stay calm. She could still escape, could still get out of this. All she needed to do was catch her captor off-guard.

"Question number one: What's with the rose petals?" Ruby blinked in surprise. That wasn't the type of question she was expecting to be asked, but decided to go along with it.

"I like rose petals."

A silence followed this, stretching long enough that the crook tried to twist herself to get a better look at Weiss's face, finding only infuriated disbelief. Apparently, she had been expecting more.

_"That's it?!"_ Pale skin was bright red with fury and Ruby wondered how worked up the detective had gotten over this. _I mean, they're just rose petals. What did she expect?_ Then, of course, she remembered that sometimes her rose petals DID have meanings. She quickly turned back toward the wall to hide her blush. "I've been tearing out my hair over this and you leave rose petals because you _like_ them? What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?!"

Ooh, cussing. The trapped girl briefly pondered whether she had a dirty mouth in bed too, or just when she was angry. This thought brought another smirk to her lips.

"Question two." There was strain in her voice now, and Ruby could practically hear her teeth grinding against each other. "What did the purple petals mean?"

"Um..." She searched her mind for a solution to this. She couldn't just say she had a crush on her. How weird would that be? But the truth was she enjoyed their runs more than anything else, to the point where she was tempted to intentionally draw the attention of the police just to experience it again. But to tell her straight to her face? No, she couldn't do that.

Except...it _would_ give her an advantage. It would take Weiss by surprise and maybe, just maybe, she could twist out of her grip and make a break for it...

"Well, I just kind of...think you're gorgeous." Just as she'd expected, the grip on her cuffed wrists slackened and she was gone in a second.

_That was close._


	5. Giallo

"Explain to me one more time how you got into this mess?" Ruby chewed her lip, face flushed with embarrassment. She was sitting in front of Blake as the older woman fiddled with her handcuffs.

"I...tripped." She knew her sister's girlfriend wouldn't buy for a single second that there wasn't something else going on there. Hell, she probably knew all about the brunette's fascination with the officer. Blake always seemed to know what was going on with her and it made her wonder what kind of weird pillow talk they had.

As expected, the girl who had been like a second sister to her only made a disapproving noise. Ruby sighed.

"I got...distracted, and tripped. She was right there and then I was pinned against a wall with my hands in cuffs." At this moment, the aforementioned device popped off and she rubbed her wrists, wincing. "I didn't do it on purpose or anything. Even I'm not that stupid."

There was silence for a moment, neither woman moving to leave. She felt Blake shift behind her, then a hand on her shoulder prompted her to turn around.

"Ruby, be careful." The words seemed random at first, but then the younger of the two realized what she was referring to. "Yang worries about you a lot...and I do too. Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Ruby wrapped her arms around the black-haired girl, nodding against her shoulder. After a moment, she was released from the embrace. Silver eyes turned up to meet gold ones, pleading expression in full force.

"You won't tell Yang about this, will you?"

* * *

><p>Blake eventually agreed to withhold the news of handcuffs from her girlfriend. Feeling relieved, Ruby stepped into the large room they called their home. Stretching her arms above her head, she took it all in. It was a dusty warehouse that was no longer by the street, having been surrounded by buildings long ago for reasons unknown.<p>

Yang and Ruby had found the place when they were small. It was shortly after their last nearby relative had disappeared and they were left alone on the streets. There had already been something of a homeless community there, though there were squabbles almost constantly. People fought over what belonged to whom. More accurately, a boy by the name of Sun squabbled with everyone else after stealing something he wanted.

The two young girls would sit in the corner most of the time, until Yang started going out. Back then, Ruby didn't know what she'd been doing, only that she'd come back with food. That was all that mattered. She would later learn that the blonde had stolen it, and for a while the young brunette was angry at her for it. But the older she got, the more she began to realize that stealing food or money from the right places wasn't going to hurt anyone. The rich were privileged to the extreme, and as a teenager, she couldn't bear it. What gave them the right to have that much money when she and her sister were struggling just to eat every day?

She was about seventeen when she decided to join her sister. Her motives were different, however. Yang stole to support Ruby. Ruby stole to support the community they'd grown up in.

As the young brunette got bolder and bolder, the warehouse became more like a haven. They had mats and blankets and managed to get food for everyone, ever single day. They housed the homeless and even other outlaws, and it had grown to the point where the warehouse itself was almost like a city.

Ruby felt a fondness for it as she looked over it now, remembering all she'd gone through to establish it.

She greeted each person she passed on her way to the door at the back of the room which would lead her to a set of stairs. The room was generally empty during the day, since most of the people who took refuge there were genuinely trying to better themselves. And even if they weren't, they had to get money somehow, right?

Upstairs was where Yang (and most nights, Blake) stayed, containing a real bed, an industrial-sized refrigerator, a safe in which they kept their money, and the supply closet she sometimes hid in when she needed to think. Yang had gotten used to this habit of hers and had at some point stopped keeping actual supplies in the closet, instead just throwing some blankets and a pillow or two in there.

As Ruby stepped into the room now, Yang sat up from where she lay on the bed. Although the younger sister normally slept on the lower floor with everyone else, she always checked in after a robbery. She knew how much her sister worried about her. The blonde walked over and slung her around around her shoulders, grinning broadly.

"How'd it go, sis? Did ya leave Schnee in the dust this time?"

"You know it!" Okay, she felt a little bad for lying. But what could she do? If Yang found out she'd been cuffed, she'd never be allowed outside again. The older sister chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Keep it up, I'm sure she'll give up eventually." That was the end of the conversation. Ruby slipped back downstairs and settled onto her mat, ready to sleep soundly.

But she couldn't. Thoughts of silver hair and ice blue eyes plagued her. She thought of the sheer rage that had filled her rival's face. She thought of the low growl. She thought of the flush when she'd told Weiss she thought the other girl was gorgeous.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>The officer paced her floor, rubbing her hands over her face. She couldn't believe the nerve of this criminal! To-to claim to be attracted to her as a distraction. Who does that?<p>

And the worst part was, it had _worked._ It had caught her off-guard and made her loosen her grip for the rapscallion to escape. What a rookie mistake! She was disgusted with herself, and even more disgusted with the fact that she no longer had her handcuffs. How would she report this? How could she admit she'd had the thief right where she wanted, and then let her escape because she wanted to ask questions? It was disgraceful.

But no, she realized, that wasn't the worst part. The absolute worst part was that the thief had been genuine.

Weiss was very good at detecting lies.

So when the hooded girl had said, "I just kind of...think you're gorgeous," the officer had known she'd been telling the truth. The Rose Thief had freely admitted feeling attraction to her enemy, the woman who wanted to put her away for a lifetime. The white-haired girl felt she should feel disgusted, and very angry, at even the thought of such a thing.

Instead, she felt flattered.

That alone made her want to punch the wall again, but she had yet to fix the dent from last time. Combine it with the fact that she was becoming more and more interested in The Rose Thief as a person, and she wanted to shove her head through two feet of solid concrete.

She had started leaving rose petals just because she "likes them." But now they had meaning, that much was obvious. Would she continue to leave meaningful petals, or simply go back to her normal red? She found herself anxious, almost eager to find out.

That night, she didn't go on patrol. She'd learned the thief's pattern-never two nights in a row, and she had a feeling that after almost getting caught she'd lay low for a little bit. But still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find it in her to relax. Her mind was racing with thoughts of the case she was assigned to. But mostly, her thoughts were focused on the centerpiece. The Rose Thief.


	6. I Take A Walk

They were yellow.

Weiss had expected the petals to be a different color, and honestly, she felt she should have predicted this.

_"Yellow rose petals mean friendship, freedom, caring, and happiness."_

Now she was being mocked. The thief was gloating about escaping, dangling her freedom in front of the officer's face. The color of the petals was all Weiss needed from the crime scene, so she turned around and got back in her patrol car, gritting her teeth. Neptune swung into the passenger seat, giving her a strange look.

"You alright there, Snow Angel?" She slammed her hands against the steering wheel.

"I fucking told you not to call me that!" Her partner lifted his hands, palm up.

"Hey, calm down, Princess. I'm just worried about you." She scoffed and started the car, refusing to look at him.

"You have no right to be."

* * *

><p>A blue-haired man strolled through the park that evening, with a serious expression on his face for once. He really was worried about his partner, but he was more concerned with the fact that she was becoming increasingly hostile towards him.<p>

Neptune was aware that the famous ice queen wasn't fond of his attitude. He was the relaxed type, cracking jokes whenever possible. He'd picked this up from a childhood friend, Sun, a monkey-like boy who he hadn't seen since he'd turned ten. But he also considered himself very much the ladies man, though he was starting to get the impression that Weiss didn't appreciate his flirting.

But even though he didn't seem like it, he genuinely liked her. He wanted her to be his. He just had to figure out a way to get her to like him back. He'd tried showing off, acting serious (briefly, anyway), and even used his best pick-up lines. None of it had worked. He just couldn't understand why she didn't want to date him yet.

He had a plan, though. He'd decided that if he caught the best thief there ever was, then maybe he could sway the best cop there ever was. It made perfect sense to him, so he set about preparing to put in some serious effort on The Rose Thief case.

He didn't seem to understand romance at all.

* * *

><p>The officer sat with her chin resting on interlaced fingers, and her elbows resting on her desk. Her eyes scanned the documents on the corkboard and she felt calm while doing this for the first time. Sure, she still felt desperate, but it was different now.<p>

Her need had shifted from catching the thief to _understanding_ the thief. Why did she steal? Why had she taken an interest in Weiss? Why did she taunt her with colored rose petals? What did she do with all the valuables she stole? The police weren't able to track any of the items through the black market. Had she not been selling it at all? No, that was ridiculous. Of course she was selling it-she was just doing it very smartly. Something which the officer found uncharacteristic of what she knew of the other young woman. But the thief obviously wasn't buying herself nice things, or else she wouldn't be wearing an incredibly cheap pair of running shoes.

So what was her motive? Where did the money go?

Why could Weiss not take her eyes off the sketch of her face?

She had done the drawing immediately after returning home from their last chase. She'd sat down at her desk and carefully mapped out the round features, then studied them. The paper was now pinned in the very center of her corkboard, and she'd been staring at it for the past fifteen minutes.

Silver eyes. Had she been mistaken about that? It _had_ been dark. Silver was such a rare eye color, she had serious doubts as to whether or not she'd seen correctly. For all she knew, they could just be very pale blue or green, and the color had been washed out by the full moon. But for some reason, she couldn't picture the girl with any other eye color.

The thief's facial features seemed...delicate, almost. They definitely didn't look like they belonged to a famous criminal. Plus, she was pretty to the point of offending Weiss-how dare a crook be physically attractive? That was silly, she knew, but she had been a sheltered child and had lived life vicariously through stories. Villains were supposed to be ugly, yet this one was not. It was surely something she'd encountered before, but it still disturbed her a little each time.

She was still staring at the sketch.

With a deep sigh, she stood from the desk and stretched. She had spent enough time inside her own head for the night, she decided.

* * *

><p>Ruby stretched her arms above her head as she stepped into the grocery store with her sister. The younger of the two grabbed a cart and began wandering through the isles, looking for the typical foods they kept in the large refrigerator at home. Yang, meanwhile, quickly disappeared in a different direction-most likely picking out some alcohol or candy.<p>

As she was standing in the freezer section, the young thief felt eyes on her and glanced around. She tried to force herself not to react when she noticed her nighttime rival nearby, though it seemed it didn't matter either way. Weiss recognized her immediately, stepping over and grabbing her collar.

"Alright, thief, you're coming with me this time!" Except she wasn't. Ruby was perfectly aware that in all honesty, there was nothing the cop could do to her.

"No I'm not. You don't have your handcuffs." She saw the other woman's jaw twitch and she smirked.

"I don't need handcuffs."

"Right, of course you don't. Either way, you can't prove who I am."

"And just who are you, exactly?"

"My name is Ruby. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Schnee." The white-haired girl released her grip on the thief's shirt, and she straightened her clothes. This girl was too easy to work up. It was kind of funny, she thought.

"How do you know my name?" That one was too simple, really.

"You're the most famous cop in Vale. Everyone who reads the news knows your name." Weiss crossed her arms stubbornly, frustrated with the shorter girl.

Ruby's next sentence surprised both of them.

"Wanna go for a walk?"


	7. Poor Yang

The two women walked in silence for a bit, Ruby's hands shoved into the pockets of her hoodie which, Weiss noted, was different from the one she wore as The Rose Thief. A clever precaution. Even her shoes were different, a simple pair of black-and-grey checkered slip-on shoes.

The officer decided to take this opportunity to get a better look at this mysterious thief, in broad daylight.

She hadn't been wrong about the silver eyes. They sparkled with a sort of childish enthusiasm that Weiss couldn't understand. While she had originally thought the thief had black hair, due to having only seen it in the dark, it was clear now that it was a dark brown with dyed red tips. Her haircut was asymmetrical, hanging past her chin on the right side, but not going much further than her jaw on the left. It was messy as well, flipping outwards in some places and hanging straight in others.

Ruby wore baggy clothes, making it difficult to tell her body type, but she seemed slim. Besides this, muscles could be assumed due to her speed and parkour abilities. This thought seemed to contrast with the roundish face and childish features. Currently, she had on a black hoodie with yellow trim which almost certainly didn't belong to her judging by the size. Vaguely the white-haired girl found herself wondering if it was her boyfriend's. She really didn't like this idea, but she didn't understand why. Brushing it off, she assumed it was because that would make it more likely that the thief has accomplices.

All this time, the cop had been staring at Ruby, and her eyes had not always fallen on the other girl's face.

"Like what you see?" The thief was grinning, and it made Weiss flush deeply as she glared.

"Don't be ridiculous. What could possibly be appealing about the likes of you?" She harrumphed and turned away, displeased that Ruby was able to get to her so easily.

"Whatever you say, Princess." Weiss ground her teeth.

"What do you want?" Her voice was sharp. This girl grated on her nerves like no one else. She could only think of one person who could even come close to this level of annoying.

"I want to talk to you." Answers like that really weren't helping the cop's temper.

"Cut the shit, you dolt. You know what I meant." Ruby didn't seem phased by her harsh words in the slightest.

"I want justice." Her serious tone caught Weiss by surprise, and she stopped walking. The brunette kept on for a few more steps before she realized that her companion wasn't with her, and turned around. "What?"

"_Justice?"_ The white-haired girl didn't think she had ever pulled a more incredulous expression in her life. Who the fuck did this crook think she was? "You think what you're doing is justice? You think it's your place to do this?"

"Yes I do! You don't have any clue! Those people are sitting there eating steaks and making millions without lifting a finger. All the while, there are people on the streets who can barely find a meal a day! I should know, I was one of them!"

Silence. Ruby glared harshly, an expression that seemed out of place for her. Weiss was taken aback by what the criminal had said, though a part of herself felt that this explained a lot. She immediately felt guilty for thinking this, knowing it was nothing more than her pampered rich girl childhood telling her that poor people got what they worked for. She pushed these thoughts away and turned her focus back to the other woman, who sighed heavily.

"You lived on the street?"

"I still do, really, but it's better now." _Now that I've got money._ The white-haired woman was silent, thinking about how this affected her understanding of the thief. It certainly clarified her motive for stealing in the first place, but it didn't explain in the slightest why she had cheap running shoes. Ruby had stolen thousands of dollars as The Rose Thief. Where was all the money going?

Before she could ask, the brunette stepped very close to her. And boy, did she _smell._

"Christ, when's the last time you had a shower?!" She hadn't meant to blurt it out like that, but it was far too late to take it back now. Fortunately, Ruby didn't seem too phased by it, simply shrugging.

"I dunno. It's been a while." Weiss thought for a moment, lips pursed, then grabbed the crook's arm and started dragging her away.

"You're taking one now."

"Whoa, what? Where are we going?"

"To get you a shower, pay attention."

* * *

><p>Ruby hadn't really expected Weiss to bring her to her apartment. She didn't know why, either, but she decided she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. After all, a warm shower wasn't something she got to experience every day. She dragged it out for as long as possible, but all too soon the water began to run cold. Stepping out, she quickly dried off and redressed, pulling on Yang's hoodie last. It was far too large for her, she knew, but it was better than going out in her normal thief clothes now that someone knew them.<p>

Upon entering the living room of the spacious apartment, she noticed a sour look on her rival's face as she glared at her phone. Obviously, she had received a phone call, and it hadn't been a pleasant one.

"What's up?" Her voice seemed to startle the cop, who sighed and put her phone down carefully.

"Nothing. It's none of your business." Well, Ruby never took well to that phrase. She stuck her tongue out at the white-haired girl in an admittedly childish manner, earning an eyeroll.

"Come on, just tell me! It's not like you'll ever see me again." She couldn't resist a chance to tease the officer, even though she knew it wasn't true. Weiss was too good at her job to never see Ruby again. The other woman scoffed just to let the thief know she was aware of this fact, too.

"If you must know, it was my partner. He called to flirt with me." Before she knew it, the brunette found herself frowning. No, worse-scowling. Weiss raised her eyebrow at the criminal's expression, but she only turned away, heading for the door.

"Well, have fun with that, then. I need to get home." Upon thinking of home, she was immediately struck by panic. _I abandoned Yang at the store!_ Acting casual, she stepped out of the apartment calmly, closing the door behind her, then bolted down the hall. _Oh man, she's gonna be so mad!_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Just dropping in a note to let everyone know that I will be doing a collaboration with TheBrokenBottle, author of Experiencing New Rhythms which has quickly become one of my own favorite Whiterose fics. The story will be posted on TheBrokenBottle's account, but I'll be sure to link to it on my profile when we put the first chapter up. Chapter 8 of TRT will be up tonight or tomorrow, and thank you for reading!**

~Navyrants


	8. Poor Ruby

**A/N: So, guys, chapter one of the fic I'm writing with TheBrokenBottle is out! It's called Myrtenaster's Loss, and I highly recommend taking a look. We'll be putting out the next chapter fairly soon, as well.**

**Additionally, DarkRai over on Deviantart was awesome enough to draw some fanart for this fic, so go look at that too! darkrai deviantart com/art/RWBY-The-Rose-Thief-484101295**

* * *

><p>Weiss sat in her living room and searched for a way to pin The Rose Thief's crime on the girl who was in her shower. She was not currently wearing any of her thieving outfit. She could only testify that crook's hair had been dark, not brown and red-tipped. She could describe the girl's face and show her sketch, but her testimony could be called into question easily-it had been dark despite the full moon, and they had been inside an alley. While it had been light enough for the officer to be confident about what she saw, she knew a defense attourney could easily turn the situation against her.<p>

And there was the matter of her pride.

Turning Ruby in would mean taking her down to the station not in handcuffs, which would require an explanation as to where her handcuffs had gone. She'd have to admit that she'd caught the girl once before and let her get away, and that was simply unacceptable.

Weiss would not admit a failure.

At that moment, he phone unexpectedly rung, startling her out of her thoughts. Groaning as she saw her partner's name on the screen, she reluctantly answered it.

"What do you want, Neptune?"

"Hey, chill. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to grab dinner with me tonight."

"No." She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she resigned herself to yet another one of _those_ conversations.

"Ooo-kay...how about tomorrow night?"

"No."

"Friday?"

"Look, Vasilias, I do not want to go out with you. Ever. Understand?" She nearly growled into the phone. He was getting on her nerves more than usual today.

"I'm sure you believe that, Snow Angel, but it'll happen. Maybe after I finish this fantastic surprise I'm planning for you." His voice sounded smug through the phone, and she could just see his cocky grin. Weiss set her jaw. She was not in the mood to deal with him.

"I'm not interested."

"But you will be!"

"No," she growled, finding less and less motivation to restrain her temper. "I won't."

"Alright, alright." He paused for a moment, and the white-haired girl could only hope he wouldn't say what she thought he was going to say. "So..." _Don't do it, Vasilias._ "I'll pick you up at six on Friday?" _Ugh._

"If you show up at my door I will knee you in the groin so hard you won't be able to walk for a week." Her tone was completely deadpan, and the nervous chuckle he let out was enough to tell her it had worked. Without a farewell, she hung up on him. She treated her phone to one of her most severe scowls, and though she knew he couldn't see it, the action did make her feel a bit better.

It was at that moment that the cause of her initial distress emerged from her bathroom.

* * *

><p>Ruby hoped Yang wasn't home.<p>

She hoped she would have time to come up with an excuse-any excuse-before she had to confront her sister. Her sister who she'd abandoned at the store in order to go hang out with someone she'd been told to stay away from. To hang out with a _police officer._ She couldn't even begin to imagine how angry Yang would be.

"RUBY ROSE GET YOUR ASS UP THESE STAIRS."

Maybe angry wasn't the right word for it. Her sister was _furious._ Sheepishly, she sent a smile towards Yang, whose expression didn't budge. Oh boy, was she in for it.

In the privacy of the upper floor, the blonde stood with her arms crossed, leaning her weight on one leg as she impatiently waited for an explanation. The younger of the two scuffed her foot on the floor, scratched the back of her neck, and refused to look anywhere near the other woman. Finally, Yang decided Ruby wasn't going to speak up on her own.

"Well? Are you going to tell me why you ditched me?"

"I...er...that is..." She bit her lip. She really hadn't meant to just leave her sister behind like that. She'd just seen Weiss and kind of...forgotten. Everything. It was stupid, and reckless, and extremely dangerous (what would she have done if the officer HAD owned up and gotten a new pair of handcuffs?) but she had done it and it was too late to change that now.

"Ruby." She was using her mom voice. She never used her mom voice. Ruby flinched.

"I, um...got distracted?" She peered guiltily up at her sister through her bangs. The look on her face told the thief that she had said exactly the wrong thing.

_"Got distracted?!_ By what?" Ruby stayed silent, and that was perhaps more incriminating than if she'd said something.

"Oh no, you didn't. It was that stupid cop, wasn't it? It was a simple grocery trip and you _still_ managed to drag yourself back into that mess! So what happened, huh? Did she recognize your hair? What was it?" She was pacing now, muscles tense with nerves. The younger of the two could tell she was already trying to figure out a way to make this go away, make Weiss go away.

"It was actually, um, I mean...I recognized her and...Well, you know I sort of...Okay, no, she recognized me, but it wasn't like...!" Ruby struggled to find the words that would make her sister realize that it really wasn't that big of a deal.

Yang looked at her incredulously.

It _was_ that big of a deal. Ruby knew she should see it that way, too. She knew she was tempting fate by associating with a cop, drop-dead gorgeous or not. She knew she was increasing her chance of being arrested at any moment, now that there was a police officer who knew her face.

Ruby was the kind of girl who would stupidly trust anyone who showed her a kindness.

Ruby had never seen Yang more pissed off.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until later that afternoon when Blake arrived that Yang showed any sign of calming down. The black-haired woman sent Ruby out of the room so that she could work her weird magic and bring back the older sister's usual cheerful mood.<p>

Ruby did feel guilty about causing her sister so much distress. She knew Yang was really worried about her, and she knew she was treating the whole Weiss situation inapprorpiately. As she lay on her mat, staring at the ceiling, she made a decision to distance herself from the cop. No saying hello to her in public. No glancing back while running away. No letting herself get caught up in the romance of the situation. Besides, on some level she knew said romance was one-sided. Weiss wanted nothing more than to put her in jail.

Her sister came downstairs perhaps an hour later, looking rather tired. The brunette stood and offered her arms out for a hug, looking hopefully up at the taller woman. With a roll of her eyes, Yang pulled her close and squeezed her tightly.

"Look, Yang, I'm really sorry. I know I was being stupid and I promise from now on I'm not gonna do it anymore, okay? I'm staying out of sight."

"Damn straight, you are." The older of the two pushed her sister back, holding her at arms length with her hands clasped on her shoulders. "You're grounded."

_ "What?!"_


	9. One Sugar

**A/N: Sorry about the delay between chapters there. I was having a bit of trouble writing this, so I ended up focusing more on Myrtenaster's Loss. But after tossing around a few ideas with a friend, I managed to get this done, so here it is! Also, if you're interested in my writing, you can request drabbles on my RWBY tumblr account, the link to which is on my profile. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>A midnight call. Weiss was up and dressed in record time, racing toward the scene of the crime. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. The Rose Thief had finally struck again, she was sure. This was her chance to catch that damned girl.<p>

But then she was chasing down a man in a solid black hoodie. She caught him easily. There were no rose petals at the scene. There was no Ruby.

A wave of emotion crashed over her in the most confusing way. She felt...disappointed. She had expected to find the brunette's signature spread around the room, but all she'd gotten was a mediocre, middle-aged thief. Did she enjoy the thrill of chasing Ruby through winding alleyways that much? No, she thought, she was most likely disappointed at the loss of a chance to apprehend that criminal. With a sigh, she left the petty thief (and the paperwork) to Neptune, opting instead to go home and sleep. She could tell he'd wanted to complain, but he hadn't, and she was somewhat grateful for that. Sometimes he wasn't a complete ass.

She felt conflicted as she stepped into her apartment, slipping her boots off at the door. The Rose Thief had never gone this long without a heist before. Had something happened to her? Was she giving up her life of crime? Was she planning something? The last thought was most worrying. Especially if the girl had decided to take her "justice" beyond thievery.

Weiss was so preoccupied with these thoughts that she almost didn't notice the rose petals in her bedroom.

* * *

><p><em>Grounded.<em> Ruby couldn't believe her sister had grounded her. She was twenty-three years old, for pete's sake! She was an _adult._

And yet, she was grounded. She seemed to fill the role of a petulant child very well as she sat in a corner sulking for the majority of the day. She pretended not to notice Blake rolling her eyes at her each time she passed by, and pointedly ignored her sister when she tried to speak to her.

Of course, she wasn't _actually_ just sitting around moping all day, as she would have Yang believe. She had been spending more time at the soup kitchen than she normally did. She may have been a thief, but she was still dedicated to helping people. She greeted each person with a smile so bright it could challenge the sun, and they smiled back more often than not. She knew she could very well be making their day with her cheery attitude. That was why she did this.

Work in the soup kitchen also served as a reminder to as to why she had begun stealing in the first place. It kept her from getting greedy on her missions, though Yang was thoroughly convinced that it wasn't physically possible for the brunette to be greedy about anything except cookies. Ruby wanted to be sure.

She did other things too, but she made sure her sister would never hear about them. Mostly they were just walks, but that was still technically against her grounding. Plus, there was time when she "took a walk" straight to Weiss's apartment. And left a present. She knew she'd promised to give Yang less to worry about, but...

Okay, there was really no excuse. She had been walking around some random neighborhood and saw some orange roses growing in someone's garden. It had been an impulse-a stupid one. But honestly, how could she help herself? Orange rose petals were often used to symbolize fascination, after all.

An impulse. A stupid, stupid impulse. But, surprisingly, she'd managed to pull it off without a hitch. She'd felt so smug she had to fight with herself to look mopey at home. She had to keep up her appearance, after all, or Yang would suspect something. She wished she could see the look on Weiss's face when she got home.

Two days later, she was restless once again. She thought about the petals she'd left in her cop's bedroom. It had been easy enough to sneak in the first time. Surely it wouldn't hurt to just slide a letter under the door. Right?

As her grounding dragged on, it became more common to leave things for Weiss. A box of chocolates on her coffee table. A copy of the brunette's favorite book, well-worn and marked in the margins. Multiple letters, at least two of which focused entirely on Weiss's beauty. (She could just see the blush those had earned). And of course, each gift was accompanied by her traditional rose petals. Lilac or orange, for the most part. She considered leaving coral rose petals once, but decided that a message of lust would be taking it too far.

For now, at least.

She made certain her advances (if they could even be called such-they were more like half-serious jokes) did not become _too_ common, lest the white-haired beauty be angered. The last thing she wanted was to be met with a fist the next time she faced the cop. Assuming there would be a next time.

She hoped there would be a next time.

* * *

><p>Weiss seemed to be doomed to eternal irritation. She dealt with the relentless Neptune at work every day, then came home to a possible gift from the girl she was trying to put in jail. How had this happened to her?<p>

She honestly didn't know what was worse-the anger from the thief breaking and entering her apartment on a weekly basis, or the disappointment when there _wasn't_ something waiting for her when she got home.

Why the hell would that be disappointing?

It's not like they ever gave her any clues. Ruby was too careful. Too well trained. So why did Weiss care when she decided not to break into her apartment?

If she were completely honest, she was a bit flattered by the gifts.

She heaved a heavy sigh at the letter she saw placed carefully on her pillow, surrounded by lilac petals. Enchantment. The rose petals had fallen into a pattern once more, she'd noticed. If they weren't lilac, they were orange. What had she done to get this girl so obsessed with her? Then again, what had she done to get Neptune obsessed with her?

Though, she had to admit, Ruby was much less obnoxious than her partner. Who knew she would ever prefer a criminal to a cop? That wasn't to say they weren't both annoying, because they certainly were. But the thief seemed significantly less concerned with getting a date, while that was all Neptune cared about. She had a feeling it would boost his reputation if he managed to score a date with the Ice Queen.

When Ruby had left her first "gift," Weiss had considered filing a report about it at the station. After thinking on it a bit longer, she realized that reporting it would most likely discourage the thief from leaving these gifts, and that wasn't something the cop wanted. After all, there was a chance she would slip up. It had happened before.

It took a month. Over a month. The crook had managed to leave seven gifts in five weeks. It lasted until Weiss got off work early one day.

She walked down the hallway to her apartment, thoughts occupied and not watching where she was going. The collision had been sudden and unexpected, as none of her neighbors were normally home at this time. When she looked up, she caught a glimpse of red-tipped brownish hair before the other girl disappeared.

Weiss tried to give chase, but she had been caught off guard, and the thief had easily lost her. With a frustrated groan she returned to her apartment, glaring briefly at the envelope on her kitchen counter next to a mug of coffee. That was something new, and she eyed it suspiciously before taking a cautious sip. It was perhaps a hint too bitter for her liking, but it was just coffee as far as she could tell. That wasn't to say poison wasn't there, but she couldn't taste it.

And anyway, why would a smitten crook poison her cop?

Her irritation dulled by glorious caffeine, she slit the envelope and pulled out the letter, being careful not to spill the rose petals she knew she'd find inside. A peek inside revealed that they were now back to red-love, passion, respect. With a deep flush, the officer quickly turned her attention back to the piece of paper in her hand.

The note was much shorter than usual this time-Ruby had a tendency to ramble, even in writing. But here she kept it very to-the-point, which was quite out of character for the energetic thief. It told Weiss that the petals were the main message that night.

_'I decided to make you coffee today. I wasn't sure how you took it, so I made a guess based on what I know about you. I figured you'd like it kind of bitter, just like your personality, so I only added one sugar. I hope I'm not too far off!'_ It was signed with a stylized doodle of a rose and curly letters that spelled out Ruby, both in red ink that contrasted with the black of the rest of the note.

The officer took another slow sip from the mug in her hands. Ruby hadn't gotten her coffee exactly right, but she'd been pretty close. Her reasoning was certainly amusing, though.

Weiss wondered why she didn't feel more annoyed.


	10. NOTICE

**NOTICE:**

**Hey guys. It's been a while since I uploaded chapter 9 and I know you were probably really excited about chapter 10 but I'm gonna have to put it off for a while. I tried to get it done during October but I ended up needing to spend a lot of time dealing with personal issues. I've been going through a bit of a rough patch and it's taking a toll on my writing. That said, I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me thus far.**

**There are two other reasons TRT is going on hiatus. The first and biggest one is that it is November, and I am participating in National Novel Writing Month. Most of my time spent writing will be dedicated to that in some form or another. I might be putting out small drabbles on my RWBY tumblr when I get burnt out on my novel or just need to do something little to vent. The link to that is on my profile, so if you're interested you should check that out.**

**The second reason is that I want to take some time and plan out the rest of the story in detail. I have a pretty good idea of where I want to take it, but I really need to nail down the little plot points in between.**

**Furthermore, I want to announce that upon completing this story I have the intention of going back and rewriting it. My writing has improved greatly even since I started writing TRT and looking back at it, I can think of a dozen ways to write it better. This includes the characterization of Neptune, which is admittedly somewhat off. He's not nearly enough of a dork. I also want to go back and put more depth into the relationships between the characters, because I barely touched on that at all. So you can look forward to that in the future.**

**I hope you all stick with me through November!**

**Best wishes,**

**Navyrants**


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